MANSEHRA: Special assistant to the chief minister Ahmad Hussain Shah has demanded of the National Disaster Management Authority chairman to increase the number of plots in the New Balakot City housing project.

He also called for the early allotment of plots to the 2005 earthquake survivors, who still live in prefabricated houses.

Mr Shah told reporters on Thursday that he led a delegation from Balakot to Islamabad and met the NDMA chairman the other day and conveyed those demands to him.

He said the earthquake survivors wanted an early allotment of plots at NBC housing project and an immediate resumption of work at around 11,000 kanals of land.

The CM’s aide said the NDMA chairman sought the support of stakeholders, including the local lawmakers, for the resumption of work and would meet the chief minister on Monday to discuss the early completion of the housing project.

SECURITY: Upper Kohistan district police officer Arif Javed has asked the police to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals working on the Dasu hydropower project.

“The security of foreigners associated on this mega energy project in the district is our responsibility. We [police] have to provide them with foolproof security,” Mr Javed told the monthly crime meeting in Dasu, the district headquarters of Upper Kohistan, on Thursday.

The SHOs of all police stations and deputy superintendent of police attended the meeting and presented their performance report. The DPO ordered a crackdown on outlaws and drug peddlers across the district.

IRREGULARITY: Tehsil municipal administrator of Balakot Sikandar Mansoor has formally asked many contractors to return a total of Rs130 million, which they received without executing development schemes.

“I have served notices on contractors to deposit the money, which they withdrew after completing development schemes on paper and not on ground, back into the exchequer. If they don’t act accordingly within two weeks, I will refer the matter to the National Accountability Bureau for action,” he told reporters in Balakot here on Wednesday.

DENGUE: Torghar deputy commissioner Mohammad Fawad Khan has directed the health department to take measures for the prevention of dengue in the district.

“Our neighbouring districts have reports dengue outbreaks, so we should ensure fumigation and take other precautionary measures against the mosquito-borne disease in our district,” Mr Fawad told a meeting in Judbah on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2021